One of Radford University’s up and coming clubs this year is the Running Club. This new organization offers group runs for everyone from beginners to intermediate and advanced runners.

At 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 15, a handful of students and one faculty member gathered in front of Tyler Hall. Chatting energetically and looking ready for a refreshing run, there was no dread of physical activity in this group.

Vice president of the group, Christopher Blake, said that he enjoys running because it’s a good time to clear his head. He explained that the president, Chrissie Benton, decided to start the group when she noticed that many people run by themselves on RU’s campus and thought that it might be more fun to have people run together.

“The way I eat I’d be 600 pounds if I didn’t run,” Blake said.

For the time being, the club is focused on trying to gain new members and retain the current runners. Not only do they try to recruit students, but faculty and staff are also welcome to join. The goal is to try to get as many people as possible from every background to come out and enjoy themselves.

“We go slow enough that nobody gets left behind, because it’s no fun if you’re running by yourself,” club member Michael Sage said. “You don’t have to be the best to run with the club; even the advanced people aren’t crazy fast, so everyone should come out and run with us.”

The beginner runs usually last about 20 minutes and have been described as laid-back. It is not just straight running for the entire time. People will stop or slow down to catch their breath. Things become more difficult with the intermediate run, which tends to be about two miles and approximately 30 minutes. The advanced group will run somewhere in the neighborhood of four miles in 45 minutes.

Club member Jacob Fulmer said, “I think the more people that come out, the more fun it is for everyone.” Fulmer also mentioned that the club helps him run more than he usually does and allows him to meet more people who enjoy running.

“There is never a big group in one run. It averages about six or seven people per run,” Blake said.

Since there are several runs throughout the week, members are able to pick and choose times that are convenient for them. The largest group so far has been ten people.

They hosted any events, yet. However, club members have thought about getting members to do races and some community service. The biggest long-term goal for the club, aside from gaining members, is to someday hold their own race.

There are a few ways to find out when and where the club runs. They post fliers around campus and are on RU Involved. Also, they have a Facebook group called Runners Club at Radford University. The group’s Facebook page has 50 members for now, and they post their running group times and places in the events section.

Benton said, “I’m just happy that I’ve left something positive here at Radford. Being a junior, I know that my time here is winding down and soon I’ll be graduating. I want to see it grow and become bigger and better for the university and the students.”